Abstract: A method for cooling the discharge tube in a gas discharge or atomic emission detector is described. An air cooled discharge detector is also disclosed. In the method and the detector, air is passed over the outer surface of the discharge tube thereby cooling the outer and inner surface of the discharge tube. Air cooling is utilized in any gas discharge detector including radio frequency powered atomic emission detectors.

Abstract: A gas plasma emission source includes a solid state signal power source coupled to a resonant cavity. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, an atomic emission detector includes a solid state signal power source coupled to a resonant cavity and a spectrographic detector to sense atomic emissions from a gas within the resonant cavity. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method of sustaining a plasma includes passing a gas through a resonant cavity and exciting the resonant cavity with signal power from a solid state power source to sustain the plasma in the gas. In another embodiment of the invention, a method of using a solid state power source includes passing a gas through a resonant cavity and coupling sufficient signal power from an output of the solid state power source to sustain a plasma in the gas where the sufficient power is less than 300 watts.

Abstract: A gas plasma emission source includes a solid state signal power source coupled to a resonant cavity. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, an atomic emission detector includes a solid state signal power source coupled to a resonant cavity and a spectrographic detector to sense atomic emissions from a gas within the resonant cavity. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method of sustaining a plasma includes passing a gas through a resonant cavity and exciting the resonant cavity with signal power from a solid state power source to sustain the plasma in the gas. In another embodiment of the invention, a method of using a solid state power source includes passing a gas through a resonant cavity and coupling sufficient signal power from an output of the solid state power source to sustain a plasma in the gas where the sufficient power is less than 300 watts.

Abstract: A method for cooling the discharge tube in a gas discharge or atomic emission detector is described. An air cooled discharge detector is also disclosed. In the method and the detector, air is passed over the outer surface of the discharge tube thereby cooling the outer and inner surface of the discharge tube. Air cooling is utilized in any gas discharge detector including radio frequency powered atomic emission detectors.

Abstract: A system for monitoring the progress of a chemical reaction in a microwave-assisted preparation of a sample, having a microwave energy source, a waveguide coupled to the microwave energy source and having a waveguide cavity, and a resistive load coupled to the waveguide, wherein the sample that is to be subject to microwave-assisted heating is situated in a reaction vessel. The reaction vessel is located in the path of the forward microwave radiation between the microwave energy source and the resistive load. An energy monitoring device is interposed between the reaction vessel and the resistive load so as to monitor the energy not absorbed by the reaction vessel. The energy absorbed by the sample may be calculated in accordance with the level of energy measured by the energy monitoring device to provide a value that indicates the status of the chemical reaction.